Next CEO Simon Wolfson announces the retailer’s first physical store expansion in over five years, signaling confidence in brick-and-mortar retail as online shopping growth stabilizes.

According to Simon Wolfson, CEO of Next, the worst stage of Britain's retail transition from physical stores to online shopping seems to be done. Speaking on Thursday, he signaled a renewed faith in physical locations by announcing that the fashion retailer will be expanding its physical retail space for the first time in more than five years.

By January 2026, Next’s retail footprint in the UK is expected to increase by 0.4%. This expansion will include the opening of ten new stores, the relocation of six existing ones, and the conversion of two homeware stores into fashion outlets. Wolfson told a media event that they have begun to open new stores again, albeit modestly, because they feel that the biggest shift to internet shopping is behind them.

The British retail company Next forecasts a slight drop in-store sales of 0.3% during the fiscal year 2025-2026 despite implementing this action. However, the company forecast that UK online sales will increase by 4.3% which will result in 2.3% enhancement in total UK sales.

Online shopping is still a very common practice in the UK; the retail landscape is ever-evolving in that country. The British Retail Consortium pointed out, in February 2025, 36.4% of all non-food sales were made online, against 35.8% the year before.

According to Wolfson, consumer purchasing patterns have stabilized, with physical stores continuing to be an integral part of the shopping experience alongside online shopping. Therefore, Next is positioning itself to take advantage of a revived high street presence and strike a balance across both retail channels with this growth plan.